The Awakening of the Harbinger
Chapter 1 – The Awakening of the Harbinger
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[Continent Panel]
Continent: Zareth
Size: 30x the size of Earth
Known Inhabitants: Unknown
Danger Level: Extreme
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[System Panel]
[System Administrator: Seo Joon]
Free System Grants Remaining: [9]
Monthly System Grants Remaining: [1]
Total System Holders: [1]
Next System Holder Awakening: [30 Days]
System Holder List:
Humans: [1]
Goblins: [0]
Zombies: [0]
Animals: [0]
Other Races: [0]
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A World Painted in Ruin
Cold.
That was the first thing Seo Joon felt.
Not just the kind of cold that came from a breeze or the night—this was different. This was the kind of deep, soul-chilling cold that settled into your bones, as if he had been lying in a grave for far too long.
He was awake. But something told him he shouldn't be.
His fingers twitched, scraping against rough stone. Every movement sent a dull ache through his limbs, but he forced himself to push up, gritting his teeth as pain flared through his body.
The first thing he saw was the sky—if it could even be called that.
A vast, endless expanse of gray, thick clouds churning above like they were alive. There was no sun. No light. Just an eerie glow that seemed to seep from the world itself.
Then the smell hit him.
Rot. Blood. Decay.
The scent of a world that had long since died.
Slowly, Seo Joon dragged himself to his feet, his legs trembling beneath him. He was standing on cracked pavement, the remains of a road long abandoned. Cars sat motionless, rusted and broken, their windows shattered. Buildings lined the streets, some still standing, others reduced to rubble.
The world was a corpse.
And he was standing in its bones.
Where… am I?
The thought barely had time to settle before something flickered in his vision.
A screen.
Floating in mid-air, glowing with a faint, pulsing light.
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[SYSTEM PANEL]
[System Administrator: Seo Joon]
Free System Grants Remaining: [9]
Monthly System Grants Remaining: [1]
Total System Holders: [1]
Next System Holder Awakening: [30 Days]
System Holder List:
Humans: [1]
Goblins: [0]
Zombies: [0]
Animals: [0]
Other Races: [0]
---
Seo Joon's breath hitched.
What… was this?
His fingers moved on instinct, as if something deep inside him already understood how it worked. His eyes locked onto the words "System Administrator", and a shiver ran down his spine.
This was his.
He wasn't just some survivor thrown into this nightmare.
He was something more.
And that meant—
His gaze flickered to the next line.
Nine free system grants remaining.
One per month after that.
He didn't know why, but he could give a system. Not just to humans. Not just to animals. To anything.
He swallowed hard.
Then another realization struck him.
He wasn't alone.
Somewhere in this world, another system had already awakened.
Another player in the game.
But who?
Or worse—what?
His hands clenched into fists. He had no memories of how he got here. No idea who he was before waking up. But one thing was clear—
This world was already moving.
And he needed to keep up.
Because if he didn't—
He wouldn't last long enough to see the next sunrise.
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To Be Continued…